CINCINNATI, Feb. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR) Family of Companies today announced that it will provide
a one-time payment of $100 to all
associates who receive the full manufacturer-recommended doses
of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the new vaccine payment, the company also
announced an additional $50 million
investment to thank and reward associates across its 35-state
footprint, including a $100 store
credit and 1,000 fuel points for hourly frontline grocery, supply
chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center
associates. Both rewards will be loaded to associates' loyalty
cards on Thursday, Feb. 11.
The one-time $100 vaccine payment
will be offered to all associates who receive the
full manufacturer-recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
and present appropriate proof of vaccination to their human
resources representative. Associates who cannot receive the vaccine
due to medical or religious reasons will have the option of
completing an educational health and safety course to receive the
payment.
"Through the unknowns of this pandemic, our associates have
risen to the challenge and shown the true meaning of Our Purpose—To
Feed the Human Spirit," said Tim
Massa, Kroger's chief people officer. "Since March, we
have invested more than $1.5 billion
to both reward our associates and to safeguard our associates and
customers through the implementation of dozens of safety measures
that we continue to execute today. We've also welcomed more than
100,000 new associates to The Kroger Family of Companies. As we
move into a new phase of the pandemic, we're increasing our
investment to not only recognize our associates' contributions, but
also encourage them to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as it becomes
available to them to optimize their well-being as well as the
community's."
In addition to the new vaccine payment and associate rewards,
The Kroger Family of Companies has taken numerous actions to
support associates during this extraordinary time, including:
- Providing additional pay, multiple special bonuses and rewards
that are available to view at KrogerCovidResponse.com
- Offering COVID-19 testing to
associates based on symptoms and medical need
- Continuing to advocate on behalf of frontline associates to
have priority access to the vaccine
- Providing COVID-19 Emergency Leave to associates most directly
affected by the virus or experiencing related symptoms and
providing paid time off
- Requiring and supplying masks for associates and encouraging
them to stay home if they are sick
- Requiring customers to wear masks in stores, or alternatively,
encouraging the use of e-commerce services
- Providing comprehensive benefits packages, including healthcare
coverage and retirement benefits
- Making $15 million available
through the company's Helping Hands fund to
provide financial support to associates experiencing certain
hardships due to COVID-19
- Making mental health resources readily available
- Continuing implementation of customer capacity limits
- Continuing the use of safety partitions and physical distancing
floor decals
"We know that the most effective defense against this pandemic
comes in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine and the continuation of
the rigorous safety precautions we've established across our
stores, manufacturing facilities and supply chain," said Dr.
Marc Watkins, Kroger's chief medical
officer. "We are strongly encouraging all customers and associates
to receive the vaccine to curb the spread of COVID-19, and we'll do
all we can to ensure they have access as soon as it's
available."
As one of the most-accessible health care partners in the U.S.,
Kroger Health continues to play a critical role in helping
distribute the vaccine in collaboration with public health
officials and community partners. As of Feb.
5, Kroger Health professionals have administered more than
200,000 COVID-19 vaccines to essential health care workers,
skilled-nursing facility employees and residents and some elderly
populations.
Kroger Health continues to hire to fill the need for 1,000
additional health care personnel, including pharmacy technicians,
to support operations and the administration of the COVID-19
vaccine. Kroger Health is also committed to training current
associates. To view opportunities and apply, visit
Jobs.Kroger.com.
Committed to Associate Wage Growth
In addition to
COVID-related reward and safety measures, The Kroger Family of
Companies has been investing to raise the wages of frontline
associates for the last several years. As part of Restock
Kroger, over the period of 2018 to 2020, Kroger invested an
incremental $800 million in associate
wage increases, reflecting $300
million more than the original plan. As a result of this
continuing investment, the average wage rate has increased to over
$15 per hour. And with the company's
comprehensive and best-in-class benefits like healthcare, paid time
off and retirement plans – including pensions, the average hourly
rate is over $20. Additionally, in
November 2020, the company committed
to investing nearly $1 billion to
help secure and stabilize pensions for associates.
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About The Kroger Co.:
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we
are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed
the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly
half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily
through a seamless shopping experience under a variety
of banner names. We are committed to creating
#ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us,
visit our newsroom and investor
relations site.
About Kroger Health:
Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is one of
America's leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,200
pharmacies and 220 clinics in 35 states serving more than 14
million customers. Our team of 22,000 healthcare
practitioners – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to
dietitians and technicians – are committed to helping people live
healthier lives. We believe in practicing at the top of our
licenses and enabling "food as medicine" to help prevent or manage
certain diseases. We are dedicated to providing testing and
wellness services to help Americans combat the COVID-19 crisis.
Learn more at Kroger.com/covidcare.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.